[rushing water] The Saco River rises in a small pond in Crawford Notch, New Hampshire.

And it ends about 130 miles later in the Atlantic Ocean.

Today you're going to experience life along the river in a rather interesting way.

It's kind of a beautiful morning here in Bartlett, New Hampshire.

I'm right beside route 302 on a tributary of the Saco river.

A group of paddle boarders are going to water walk down the river here for the next six days to the ocean, and we're here to send them off in good style.

[sawing] Now, among the members of this flotilla are a good friend and local photographer, Joel Clement [?

ovich.

?]

Joel-- Good to see you.

The usual pleasure.

Yeah.

[laughs] Now, whatever possessed you to do a crazy thing like this?

Oh, boy I think it was probably a year and a half ago I started thinking about it, probably longer than that.

But there's an organization called Rivers for Change.

[dogs barking] [splashing] And they had a request for grants.

And I sent in an application.

And they want to tell stories around rivers, and particularly, any kind of adventure that goes from source to sea.

So that got me thinking more serious about it.

[dog whining] I sent in an application.

And a few months ago they said, yeah, here's a little bit of support money.

And then-- it was kind of funny, because Mike, who I'm paddling with, was kind of on the same track.

He's always want-- he paddles a lot.

And he's always wanted to paddle the Saco to the Ocean.

And so we kind of joined forces.

So you share this idiotic streak, right?

[laughs] I do, I do.

Yeah, you know, I don't know.

It just it seemed like a natural objective.

I grew up paddling and moved to New Hampshire in the Mount Washington Valley in 2017.

And when I arrived, just started taking stock of the recreation opportunities here, and the Saco just seemed like an obvious thing to paddle.

And so my wife actually got me into stand-up paddle boarding.

And it was-- when I discovered how fun they are, how capable they are on rivers-- You sound like Adam.

Eve made me do it.

[laughs] Oh, no, no, no, I give her credit.

There's no blame.

It is a nice way to explore.

You're higher up.

You're not sitting all the time.

You can be more active.

And they can go through inches of water.

[splashing] That's great.

Now, what do you hope to see along the river, anything special?

Oh, what's interesting about the Saco is it's one of the cleanest waters, one of the cleanest rivers in New England.

And living in the Mount Washington Valley, we're in the mountains all the time.

And I think for me, the connection between the mountains and the ocean is pretty special.

So we'll travel-- like this morning, we decided to move downriver because of the low water, but we were going to start up higher in Bartlett.

And you can see the water's pretty low.

So we'll travel through these kind of rivers.

And then we'll get into agricultural land and meandering rivers.

And then eventually end up in the estuary that leads into the Atlantic.

And we should see in a few days.

You're going to let us know when you're near the mouth.

And we'll try to join you again, aye?

Sounds good.

[soft guitar music playing] The Saco River flows southeast from Crawford Notch, New Hampshire.

It snakes its way through Conway and then across the border into Maine, flowing eventually into the Atlantic Ocean at Saco Bay, 136 miles from its source.

[birdsong] Joe and Mike set off on their trip from Bartlett, New Hampshire.

Within a couple of hours, they around the bend into Conway, where during the summer, the river attracts crowds of people.

They come here to ride the rapids on inner tubes.

A drought this year has changed that.

Well, we saw a couple around Conway area and a handful of folks along the shore as we paddled through, but relatively quiet.

[rushing water] Now the last time I saw you two, you were embarking down a remarkably shallow river full of rocks.

And I thought, those poor guys are going to be walking 130 miles.

But apparently, that wasn't the case, right?

Just the first 30.

Felt like the first 30 for sure, yeah.

I think we spent a mile in the Ellis.

And that was bumping against rocks and carrying for-- Were you're walking and towing the-- Yeah, because all this stuff was on the boards.

[splashing] But it was off and on, and not too bad.

And then we got into the Saco proper through Glen, Bartlett, and North Conway.

But last year was a drought.

This year was a drought.

We haven't had much rain.

[splashing] Well, we just crossed into Maine.

I don't know how many miles we're at, like maybe 20 something, but we're in Fryeburg, Maine.

There's one little dam in Fryeburg, we had to portage around.

And then we had a few miles after that.

So definitely a long day.

[upbeat banjo music playing] Almost to the first dam.

What lies ahead on the river for Joe and Mike is a lot of history.

Wabanaki people lived along the Saco for more than 10,000 years.

[rushing water] Looking good, Nelson.

They grew food on its shores.

They fished and used the river as a travel route.

In the 1800s, industrial development began in earnest.

Textile manufacturers and lumbering businesses set up shop along the banks.

The river was harnessed and put to work.

[splashing] [birdsong] I think one of the quotes that I stumbled upon at some point was, when all of these towns and cities were developed, they built with their backs to the river.

And basically, the river was-- that was their dump.

And it just went away.

And now that's starting to change.

As we went through Biddeford, it's more vibrant than it has been.

And partly because of the river's something to cherish and respect, as opposed to just dump your trash in, so-- Well, I think that's what Dylan from the Saco River Corridor Commission imparted to us when we spoke with her, is Saco is a success story, right?

It was more polluted decades ago.

[splashing] If everybody can see the river walks in San Antonio and Saranac Lake, they'd all want one.

That is beautiful.

And that's happening.

It's fun to see the mill buildings being renovated, and focusing on restaurants facing the river, and enjoying that.

And there's a river walk here.

I think we-- portaged by one where we put in.

So, yeah, it's on the up.

Try to stay optimistic, right?

The alternative is not fun.

That's right.

[goose honking] [splashing] [boat motor running] I think we're lucky to have this running through our backyards and front yards, and that it's not a mess like it could be.

Yeah, yeah.

There are the rivers up here you could do, aren't there?

You could do the Merrimack.

I did a couple days on the Merrimack and it's kind of a mess, you know?

It is, yes.

A lot of cities, a lot of effluent and just kind of like-- The effluent.

--discharge and whatever else is going on.

Did this one stay clean as you came down?

Right until where-- Biddfeford, yeah.

It was noticeable, having traveled the extent of it, and really seeing the clarity, and the feeling the cool water, yeah, hitting the bottom of the river, certainly noticed the various drain pipes, and the change and the turbidity, and the temperature, and all the industrial buildup around the shoreline.

But relatively speaking, the corridor itself is remarkably managed.

I'm really thankful that-- that was in the 1970s, they established the regulation that managed shoreline development along the Saco.

And that plays significantly into the quality of the water, the quality of the experience we had.

It was-- yeah, it was pretty incredible.

[splashing] With time, many of the Industrial centers faded away, and recreation grew.

Canoes, kayaks, and rafts replaced log booms.

People from near and far come to the Saco to play and fish.

We used to fish it down on Conway.

They stay in the guest house there by the bridge.

And the tubers just drove us nuts.

They'd float by with a-- when you're trying to cast to a rising fish, and say, hey, would you like one?

Want a cold one?

I'd love a calm one if I had a chance.

It was surprising how probably the first three days we saw six or eight people total.

Is that right?

It was remarkable.

Really wild shoreline.

And we've talked a little bit about-- before the trip, we talked to some folks at the Saco River Corridor Commission.

And that's part of Maine.

And they regulate the shoreline.

And it's remarkable.

I thought for sure-- I think both of us expected-- once we got through South of Fryeburg into Hiram and down deeper into Maine, that there'd be lots of houses and backyards.

But we'd go for hours through more or less wilderness.

It was pretty good.

[birdsong] If you're wondering, as I am, how Joe and Mike keep themselves fed throughout the day and warm at night, look no further than beyond their boards.

So it's mostly camp stuff-- my food, sleeping.

We have a pump in here, repair stuff, first aid kit, all the typical stuff you need for just an overnight.

And then on the bow, where I'm keeping snacks and stuff I anticipate wanting to grab during the course of the day.

And I think I weighed out, roughly, camera gear, and tent, and sleeping bags, and all food, and all that stuff.

And I was 45 to 50 pounds.

And they travel great.

It's really-- they're fun in the rapids.

They paddle great in the flat water.

[splashing] We're going to a campground at the end of the day.

We're meeting Mike's wife.

And she's bringing fancy food and beer, maybe.

Oh, I just met up with everybody yesterday.

We met at Stone Dam, paddled down to the campsite last night.

Have you paddled the Saco?

Ah, more the upper section, so never down this far.

It was really nice, what we paddled yesterday.

It was so peaceful.

It was beautiful, yeah.

The life of the river slows down our paddle boarders.

They take time to enjoy everything around them.

That's why they're here.

Did you camp pretty much anywhere you like?

It was a mix of-- We were-- yeah, there was a handful-- a fair bit of private-property posting.

But we found-- one evening we did find some-- a beach that wasn't posted.

And we were able to take advantage of that spot.

And then we've stayed in a couple of campgrounds.

[INDISTINCT TALKING IN BACKGROUND] You want to tell us about the plan?

[birdsong] So we're a few miles above Hiram.

And we're hoping to get somewhere below Limington Rips by the end of the day tomorrow.

So we've done-- we did 31 miles yesterday, 26, 27 today.

So we ought to be able to knock out something around that tomorrow, set ourselves up so we have about 20 miles left to get to the ocean on Sunday.

Wow, that's kind of close when you start thinking that way.

[splashing] [rushing water] Back in the saddle, maybe the last full day.

Mike, packing up at Limington Rip.

Now we're into kind of still water for the next-- well, from here till the day finishes up.

[splashing] The crew and I had planned to meet Joe and Mike at Biddeford, Maine.

Good morning.

How are you?

Great.

Good.

It's heading for the fresh water-- You guys don't look like you've been paddling for four days.

[laughter] You're too clean.

We're energized by it all.

They arrive on day four of their trip, one day early.

We're still trying to put all the days together.

[laughter] It chewed up my whole schedule.

Figured out when you were going to finish, and all of a sudden-- How's it been going?

Great, yeah, last four days have been amazing.

So how far have you been traveling up to this point?

What's the mileage?

We did six this morning to get here.

We camped up at a nice family campground up the river.

And well, I guess it's what?

130 minus 6 more miles.

So we're at mile marker-- approximately 129.4 on this map.

We started from mile marker 22.5.

So we're like 104 miles, yeah.

We lucked out with-- I think there was rain in the mountains on one night.

And then that next day there was a bump in water, so the river was really flowing along nice.

So that's when we were like, wow, we're really going to finish early.

All right, so we're-- [inaudible] --we're at the [inaudible] Falls on the-- Today was a reasonably short day, but the day before was-- was that four portages or three?

Four, yeah.

So that's a lot of flat water, a lot of unloading, carrying the paddle boards around dams, and rapids, and-- [splashy footsteps] But really, that's where the paddle boards shine is they're light.

So the portages were not too bad.

There's the unloading and the kind of rigmarole that goes along with that.

Do they sit under your arm?

Under your arm, and you can carry them easily.

So I had a dry bag, backpack that I was able to do in one trip, and Joe as well.

So yeah, it made it pretty slick.

Dig dam.

[splashy footsteps] [birdsong] [running water] A dam, right in the heart of Biddeford, forces the paddle boarders out of the water and onto the streets.

Why do we do what we do?

Yeah, you want to go left, carry it across.

[traffic sounds] Isn't this so much fun?

Oh, it's bizarre.

I love it.

It's so funny.

Every single person that's stopping at the stop sign's like, hey, where are you going?

What are you doing?

Where are you going?

I love it.

I love it.

Sushi bar just ahead.

I know.

I wish, but it's 9 o'clock though.

We got to catch the outgoing tide.

After their hike through town, Joe and Mike meet me on the other side of the dam.

I have a canoe waiting in the water and I'll paddle the last six miles with them to the ocean.

Yeah, straight shot to the ocean, six miles to Camp Ellis, which I guess would be the proper Atlantic Ocean.

Well, I suppose if we're going to get down there, we're going to have to start sometime, right?

Yep, six more miles to Camp Ellis from here, so we've been traveling about three miles an hour, but the outgoing tide should give us a little boost, so-- About an hour and a half, probably, something like that?

Yeah, that's what we're guessing, yeah.

Plus, we have a little tailwind, too, a little-- Yeah, that's great.

Going to be easy living from here out.

Yes, I prayed for this last night.

[laughs] [relaxing music playing] [distant chatter] [splashing] God, this is fun.

a nice, hot, sunny day-- [sighs] --with very little wind.

At least it's not in my face.

Well, only about five miles to go.

We should make it.

And if you could turn around and let me straighten up the canoe, that'd be OK with me.

[laughter] Thank you.

I watch Joe and Mike paddle and I'm intrigued, but I'm not quite ready to trade in my canoe for a paddle board.

Oh, man, oh, well, I'll never be young again, but it must have been fun.

Well, you could sit on it.

You could kneel on.

Maybe next, St. John's.

Maybe we'll get you up there.

Yeah, I don't think so.

[laughs] It was fun to go into this whole thing with very little planning, very little-- a few expectations, but I think overall, we just kind of winged it.

Thankfully, Amanda, Mike's wife, was a huge help with-- she helped us get a campground on one night.

[running water] Nelson's coming in hot.

Friends in the community also were super into this whole trip.

We had several folks show up.

Our friend Eric Nelson paddled with us for a day and a half.

Oh, hey, that's great, yeah.

And a few folks brought some food along.

Our first ever Fryeburg.

Yeah, so it was great.

[rushing water] And I think it's been surprising for both of us to see how many people were messaging, like, oh, yeah, it's great you're doing that.

I've always thought about doing that.

And then-- so maybe, yeah.

[birdsong] [traffic] But even strangers, right?

Portaged in through Biddeford and Saco, we had-- earned this-- we had a one-mile walk along-- on pavement to get around the Cataract Dam Complex.

Look at us, doing the long way around, using the crosswalk.

And so we're walking through crosswalks and sidewalks.

And people were rolling down their windows, asking where we'd come from, where we were going, random beeps and thumbs up, it was really fun.

That's great, yeah.

Yeah.

[organ music playing] [splashing] The finish line is in sight.

It's a good time to ask my river companions to reflect on their journey.

Well, I think we started off talking when we left, we had grand plans of like, I don't know what, but the idea of the connection between the mountains, and the ocean, and these waterways, and the significance of them.

[running water] I know that the old timers always thought of the river as a way to get down to the ocean.

And the sailors thought of the rivers as the way to get up into the hinterlands.

It was a whole different point of view to the rivers.

Yeah, I think a lot of-- we did a fair bit of research on the Wabanaki in this whole New Hampshire, Maine area.

And it was interesting to just be on the water and be paddling through that.

And really, there were stretches where it felt like there was no civilization on either side.

And that connection between whether it's nature, or history, or the Native peoples, just to see that, you certainly felt like we are back up a few hundred years.

[splashing] We're fortunate to be in a place where we have these urban centers like Portland, and the coast of Maine is well populated, but yet only an hour and a half away you can jump in a river, and have a five-day experience.

All these people could jump in their car and less than two hours be in a pretty remarkable river in the mountains, and then spend a long weekend or a handful of days on the river.

And I think it's important to remember that we are all connected by this body of water, right?

We're sitting here, and the water we're seeing flow by started in Crawford Notch.

That's Right.

And so what we do upstream affects what happens downstream.

[dog barking] And it's really interesting to think that we kind of were just-- we floated through that whole corridor.

[upbeat music playing] Well, Mike and Joe are mighty voyagers that completed their perilous descent of the thundering Saco.

And you're here at Tidewater now.

Yeah, Camp Ellis.

Yeah, ready to go home and have a little rest, right?

Yeah, ready to drive the hour, what, hour and a half home.

Hour and a half, yeah.

Oh, I got 3 and 1/2.

[laughter] Well that's a great thing, you did it.

And I hope you do another one.

And we'd like to be invited on that one too, don't you think?

Oh yeah, absolutely.

OK.

Thanks for coming out.

Oh, my pleasure.

You know that.

So I'll say goodbye to you guys now.

I have to say goodbye to these people here, too.

[soft piano music playing] I'm Willem Lange and I hope to see you all again on "Windows to the Wild."

Bye bye.

Support for the production of "Windows to the Wild" is provided by the Ellis J.

Rain Charitable Trust, the Fuller Foundation, the Gilbert Verney Foundation, Bailey Charitable Foundation, the McAninch Foundation, and viewers like you.

Thank you.